Pant-type absorbent articles have a defined waist opening and a pair of leg openings and are pulled onto the body of the wearer by inserting the legs into the leg openings and pulling the article up over the waist. They are usually provided with various elastic elements so that they can conform to the body of the user and provide a comfortable fit. Examples of such pant-type absorbent articles are pant diapers, sanitary pants and incontinence pants worn by incontinent adults. They comprise a first body panel and a second body panel, forming the front and back panels of the pant. The first and second body panels are joined to each other along lateral edges to form side connections. A crotch panel is provided between the first and second body panels. The crotch panel can be integral with either one or both panels or can be provided as a separate part joined to the first and second body panels.
Pant-type absorbent article often do not have a refastening mechanism that allows the garment to be easily removed after use or to be adjusted during use. However there are known through various prior art documents such refastenable pant-type absorbent articles.
WO 95/27462 discloses a pant diaper having releasable and refastenable fastening means along the lateral edges of the front and back panels for joining the front and back panels together along the sides thereof. The refastenable fastening means replaces a permanent side seam.
WO 01/87204 discloses an absorbent garment with a refastenable side seam. Complementary fasteners are applied at the front and the back panels on the wearer facing side and one of the complementary fasteners is applied to the panel in a C-folded configuration such that a lap seam is formed.
WO 03/024377 discloses a refastenable absorbent garment comprising a plurality of fastener pieces spaced along the side edges forming refastenable side seams of the garment. Cuts may be provided in the body panel webs between the fastener pieces.
WO 03/057116 discloses a refastenable absorbent garment having a fastening tab hingedly connected to the body facing side of a first body panel. The fastening tab is hinged and folded over along a folding line adjacent a lateral side edge of the body panel and is in the folded over state releasably fastened to the body facing side of the opposite body panel. No overlapping side seams between the first and second body panels are provided along their joined side edges.
One problem with these types of openable and refastenable absorbent garments is that it may be difficult to open the side seams in a controlled manner so that they may be refastened again. If the side seams are difficult to open, an attempt to open them may result in tearing of the web materials of the body panels, at which the garment will become unusable.